Water draining plug

ABSTRACT

A water draining plug which can be inserted in a hole in a horizontal wall, comprising a peg-like element having a head, whose dimensions are greater than the diameter of said hole and which is provided with a plurality of apertures for the passage of water, a shank extending downward from said head, and a helical formation extending radially from a portion of said shank; and a cup-like cover having a lower wall connected to a lower end of said shank, a discharge aperture in said lower wall, a side wall in contact with outer edges of said helical formation and an upper edge which can contact the lower surface of said wall around said hole.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a water draining plug which can be inserted into a hole in a horizontal wall.

In some applications, in the automobile industry for example, it is necessary to discharge water which accumulates on the upper part of a horizontal wall made of sheet metal for example, while also preventing any splashes of water from the lower side of the wall from passing through the water discharge holes.

OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide a water draining plug which meets the aforesaid requirement, has a simple structure, and is easily installed.

According to the present invention, this object is achieved with a water draining plug having the characteristics described in claim 1.

The claims form an integral part of the teachings provided in relation to the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings, provided purely by way of non-limiting example, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a water draining plug according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the plug of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-section taken along the line III-III of FIG. 2, and

FIG. 4 is a cross-section in perspective showing the plug of FIG. 1 inserted into a hole in a sheet metal wall.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference to the drawings, the number 10 indicates a water draining plug intended to be inserted into a hole in a horizontal wall, made from sheet metal for example.

The plug 10 comprises a peg-like element 12 and a cup-like cover 14. The peg-like element 12 is preferably made from an injection molded thermoplastic material and the cup-like cover 14 is preferably made from an elastomeric material, such as a thermoplastic rubber.

As shown in FIG. 4, the plug 10 is intended to be fitted in a hole H in a wall W, for example a thin sheet metal wall. In the illustrated example, the hole H has a diameter of approximately 10 mm and the wall W has a thickness of approximately 1 mm. Clearly, the dimensions of the plug 10 can be varied in order to adapt the plug 10 to holes of different diameters and walls of different thicknesses.

The peg-like element 12 comprises a head 16 having a plurality of apertures 18 for the passage of water. In the illustrated example, the head 16 comprises a plurality of arms 20 spaced apart from each other angularly and defining between them the apertures 18 for the passage of water. The arms 20 are resiliently flexible and are inclined relative to a plane orthogonal to the longitudinal axis A of the peg-like element 12.

The peg-like element 12 has a shank 22 which extends downwards from the head 16 along the longitudinal axis A. The shank 22 has a helical formation 24 formed in one piece with the shank, extending radially towards the outside and located at a lower end of the shank 22. At the lower end of the shank 22 there is formed a groove 26 which serves to retain the cover 14.

The peg-like element 12 can also be provided with a wider portion 28 located under the head 16 at the upper end of the shank 22.

The cover 14 has a base wall 30 and a side wall 32 with an open upper edge 34. The base wall 30 has a discharge aperture 36 which engages in the groove 26 of the shank 22. As can be seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, the lower end of the shank 22 has a chamfer 38 shaped in such a way that part of the discharge aperture 36 of the cover 14 remains open so as to form an open hole for the discharge of the water.

The side wall 32 of the cover 14 has an inner surface in contact with the outer edges of the helical formation 24.

With reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, the outer ends of the arms 20 are slightly lower than the upper edge 34 of the cover 14.

With reference to FIG. 4, the outside diameter of the cover 14 is greater than the diameter of the hole H. The distal ends of the arms 20 are located at a distance from the axis A which is greater than the radius of the hole H.

The plug 10 is inserted from above through the hole H. The cover 14 is deformed in a radial direction during its passage through the hole H. On completion of the fitting, the whole of the cover 14 is located below the wall W, while the head 16 is located above the wall W.

In order to complete the passage of the cover 14 through the hole H, the head 16 must be pressed in the direction of insertion to deform the arms 20 in a resilient manner, until the upper edge 34 of the cover 14 has passed through the hole H. At this point, the pressure on the head is released, and the arms 20 return to their non-deformed position, thereby exerting an axial force which presses the open edge 34 of the cover 14 against the lower surface of the wall W.

The plug 10 then remains fixed in a stable way to the wall W, because the cover 14 prevents any escape of the plug 10 in an upward direction. The edge 34 of the cover 14 is pressed into contact with the lower surface of the wall W around the hole H and prevents the passage of water through the hole H in an upward direction from below.

The plug 10 allows the drainage of the water accumulating on the upper side of the wall W. The water passes through the apertures 18 of the head 16 and through the space between the wider portion 28 and the edge of the hole H. The water enters the cover 14 and is discharged to the outside through the aperture formed between the discharge aperture 36 of the cover 14 and the chamfer 38 of the shank 22. In order to reach the discharge aperture 36, the water follows a helical path defined by the helical formation 24. Splashes of water from below the wall W cannot reach the upper side of the wall W, owing to the helical path which allows a one-way passage of water from above to below. The apertures 18 between the arms 20 form a kind of filter which prevents the passage through the hole H of solid elements having dimensions greater than those of the apertures 18, so as to prevent any elements which might obstruct the outflow of water from entering the cover 14.

The fitting of the plug 10 is simple and fast, and does not require the use tools or fastening elements.

The plug 10 makes it possible to provide effective protection against the passage of splashes of water from the lower to the upper side of the wall W, while also allowing the drainage of liquids which accumulate on the upper side of the wall W.

Clearly, provided that the principle of the invention is retained, the details of construction and the forms of embodiment can be varied widely from what has been described and illustrated, without departure from the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims. 

1. A water draining plug which can be inserted in a hole (H) in a horizontal wall (W), comprising: a peg-like element (12) having a head (16), whose dimensions are greater than the diameter of said hole (H) and which is provided with a plurality of apertures (18) for the passage of water, a shank (22) extending downward from said head (16), and a helical formation (24) extending radially from a portion of said shank (22); and a cup-like cover (14) having a lower wall (30) connected to a lower end of said shank (22), a discharge aperture (36) in said lower wall (30) a side wall (32) in contact with outer edges of said helical formation (24) and an upper edge (34) which can contact the lower surface of said wall (W) around said hole (H).
 2. The plug as claimed in claim 1, wherein said head (16) comprises a plurality of arms (20) spaced apart from each other in the angular direction and defining between themselves said apertures (18) for the passage of water.
 3. The plug as claimed in claim 2, wherein said arms (20) are resiliently flexible.
 4. The plug as claimed in claim 3, wherein said arms (20) are inclined relative to a plane orthogonal to a longitudinal axis (A) of said peg-like element (12).
 5. The plug as claimed in claim 1, wherein said shank (22) has a groove (24) at its lower end which engages said discharge aperture (36) formed in said base wall (30) of said cover (14).
 6. The plug as claimed in claim 5, wherein an open hole is formed between said discharge aperture (36) of the base wall (30) of said cover (14) and a chamfer (38) formed at a lower end of said shank (22).
 7. The plug as claimed in claim 2, wherein the outer ends of said arms (20) are slightly lower than the upper edge (34) of said cover (14). 